Rhinelander - If you have a cell phone, you've most likely pocket-dialed someone. One northwoods police department is fed up with these time-wasting calls.The Rhinelander Police Department wants the city council to pass a proposed amendment to an existing ordinance.
Captain Ron Lueneburg of the Rhinelander Police Department says the "ordinance will allow us to eventually cite a person if they don't make corrective actions. It specifically states within a 6 month period, you know, three or more false 911 calls without taking corrective action is basically the premise that we want to center around before we would issue a citation to the person." Since May 2011, the Rhinelander Police Department has received nearly 1,350 illegitimate calls. Pocket dial calls waste time - time police need to respond to real emergencies. Oneida County Emergency Management Director Ken Kortenhof has advice for people who misdial multiple times: "You may want to start looking at the type of phone that you have. Make sure that the keypad is locked. And some phones - cells - maybe it's time to replace them and get a phone that's going to prevent you from misdialing by accident."If you accidentally pocket dial the police, stay on the line and explain what happened. Otherwise, the dispatcher will call you back, and may even send authorities to check on you.